


for you, my love

by emorion



Series: eternally yours [2]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Fluff, Immortal Husbands Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:00:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25543999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emorion/pseuds/emorion
Summary: "I have something to show you, habibi.""Yusuf, if that's a new line, I swear-"
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: eternally yours [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850956
Comments: 18
Kudos: 370





	for you, my love

**Author's Note:**

> That picture of Nicky, Whew.

"Let's get to work." Andy says, and that's it. 

The end of that book, onto another. 

Nicky feels it, the way he always does. It's a flighty thing in his chest that threatens to climb out from his throat. 

The last book, coincidentally, belongs to Booker. It started on that fateful day in 1812, and lasted a little over 200 years. This book will be named for Nile. 

The feeling eventually finds its way to his lips, it always does, and just like every other time he beams over at Joe. His eternal lover is very into his role as Andy's tough right hand however, and offers him only a small nod in response. Nicky isn't offended.

Turning back to the admittedly impressive conspiracy board, Nicky looks over his life in print. He really can't believe how much Copley was able to connect. Even more unbelievable how well documented he and Joe have been, especially during the crusades. Whether it truly is them in these paintings or not, he isn't entirely sure. The likeness is uncanny.

Seeing their history like this is as exhilarating as it was unsettling. A millennium of lifetimes, documented fairly well. The Napoleonic wars, the Cuban revolution, the U.S. civil war, World War I, the Spanish war, the French revolution, World War II...

"Would you look at that." 

Nicky turns his head to find Joe, looking at the documents over his shoulder. 

"I gotta get me a copy of this one." He says, tapping on a picture of Nicky aiding a young boy. A boy who, apparently, went on to win a medal for his work with DNA. "Do you see him? He has got to be the most beautiful man in the world."

Nicky turns to brush his nose up Joe's cheek. "I don't think he stands a chance as long as this one's around." He replies, pointing to a picture of Joe surrounded by children in the Republic of Congo. 

This picture just about knocked the wind out of him when he first noticed it on the wall. His Yusuf was an absolute angel around children. Seeing that, immortalized in print? It was truly a work of art. 

"If you two are gonna start being mushy, I'm gonna ask you to take it elsewhere." Andy says from far behind them. Nicky can hear the smile in her voice, though. 

"That's twice today, boss." Joe smiles back, although his eyes never leave that picture. "Hey, Copley? You think I could get a copy of this picture?"

"Is that a good idea?" Nile asks. "It's dangerous, isn't it?"

"I'm sure one picture would be fine," Andy says, looking carefully over the Napoleonic wars. "Nicky does look super hot with a kid."

"Right?" Joe laughs. 

"Stop." Nicky says at the same time, shaking his head. "Joe, you've drawn plenty of pictures of me."

"Oooh, really?" Nile exclaims, turning to Andy. "Remind me to ask after those later."

"Oh, no." Andy laughs. "You are way to young to see those, kid."

"How old do you think I am?!" Nile demands. 

Joe laughs again as he wraps his arms around Nicky. "I can show you some of them." He tells Nile before dipping his voice to a whisper. "The rest are for your eyes only, my love."

Nicky leans his head on Joe's for a moment before shaking him off. "I must say, Mr. Copley, the thoroughness of your investigation is rather- er, what's the word-"

"Obsessive." Joe supplies, returning to his tough persona. 

"Yes, obsessive," Nicky smirks. "Thank you, darling." He gets a shoulder nudge for the endearment before he continues. "We will have to trust you to make sure no one else stumbles upon it."

"Of course," Copley replies, far to flippant for Nicky's liking. "This information is secure, I assure you. It was by no means easy to collect this data, let alone connect it. And I knew what to look for."

Nicky and Joe share a look similar to the one after Merrick's silly Shakespeare monologue, with less amusement this time. 

"Uh, I need some air." Joe says, touching Nicky's arm. "Care to join?" 

Nodding, Nicky follows Joe down the stairs and out the sliding glass door. There's a small patio area with a small pool. Nicky takes off his shoes and socks to put his feet in the pool. When he looks up at Joe, he's doing the same. 

"Ugh, this guy, huh?" Joe sighs as his feet hit the cool water." "He's a whack job."

Nicky laughs, because isn't that the truth. "He had to have gone through thousands of paintings to find us during the crusades." 

"What was that even?!" Joe exclaims. "How could he even be sure that was us? Why were we even painted that many times?"

"Our battles were probably the most intense."

"Oh, definitely!" Joe smiles, setting his hand on Nicky's leg. "At least he seems more sane than that Merrick kid."

Nicky nods. "What kind of CEO wears a hoodie under a suit? It's like he wants to be treated like a twelve year old."

"I thought that was kinda practical," Joe says with a smile, just to be contrary. "What I couldn't believe was the-"

"Shakespeare." They say at the same time, Nicky rolling his eyes. 

"I hate Shakespeare." Joe tells him, although of course Nicky knows this. It's one of the few topics that can really get Joe off on a rant, hint Nicky's amusement when Merrick referenced King Lear. 

When William Shakespeare first started writing plays, Yusuf and Nicolo were fighting off and on in the 30 years war. They had taken a break from the fighting to see what the big deal was. Needless to say, Yusuf was not impressed. 

"What a pretentious ass!" He had exclaimed as they left the theatre, gaining looks from fellow spectators. "What the hell? No one speaks like that anymore!"

Nicolo knew the real reason was that Yusuf saw Bill as some kind of romantic rival. Not because he thought that Nicolo would leave him for the playwright, but because he dared try being more poetic than Yusuf. 

From that day on, whenever anyone mentioned anything relating to the famous writer, Joe would become agitated. He was nearly inconsolable, the only thing that would cease his raving was Nicky. His hands, his mouth, and most of all his words. It would sometimes take an entire night to bring Joe back down to earth. 

"Could you really not believe it?" Nicky asks in the present. "Merrick was just as pompous, if not more." 

"Right as ever, Nicolo." Joe smirks. 

They sit in comfortable silence for some time after. Joe dips his hands in the water before running them through his hair as Nicky watches. Then he dips one hand and brings it up to push through Nicky's. 

"Thank you, _amore_." He sighs, the cool water refreshing in the heat of the day. 

Joe smiles. "Of course, my light." He gives Nicky a chaste kiss to his lips. 

A few minutes later, the door slides open to reveal Nile and Andy. "I'm exhausted, I'm heading back to the hotel." Andy says. 

"Ah, yes!" Joe says, pulling his feet out of the pool. "My hands are itching!" 

"What does that mean?" Nile asks as Joe grabs his shoes and books it to the car. "Why do his hands itch?"

"He needs to draw." Nicky explains. "Sometimes his mind gets to loud. Drawing makes it quiet."

"Oh." Nile nods. "He's itching to draw." 

"You'll have it all down soon, won't you kid?" Andy sighs, trudging after Joe. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they get back to the hotel, Joe goes straight for his notebook. He grabs a pen off the tiny desk by the door and moves to sit under the window. 

Nicky leaves him to it, kicking off his shoes and laying on the bed. He doesn't really fall asleep, he hasn't been able to sleep without Joe at his back in a very long time, but he does zone out. 

He feels the other side of the bed dip and opens his eyes to see that it's dark outside. 

" _Marhabaan eaziziun_." He sighs. 

" _Ciao, caro_." Joe whispers before pressing his lips to Nicky's. 

The kiss that follows is long and passionate, centuries of love poured into it. Nicky slides his hands into Joe's hair as Joe wraps a leg around his. 

"I have something to show you, _habibi_." Joe sighs, stopping Nicky from unbuttoning his pants. 

"Yusuf, if that's a new line, I swear-"

He's cut of by a loud laugh that seems to be punched out of him. "No, no, Nicolo!" He says through the laughter, wiping at his eyes. "My drawings! I've finished them." 

"Oh!" Nicky nods. "Yes. Yes, Joe. I'll see your drawings." 

Joe kisses Nicky once more before rolling over and grabbing his sketchbook. He places the book in his lover's hands reverently, as if it contains precious treasures. 

Which it does, Nicky knows. Not just treasured by Joe, but by Nicky as well, for these are the products of his eternal love. The projections of the most beautiful mind he had ever met. 

Carefully, Nicky opens the book to the place that is marked with a silk blue ribbon. What he sees still astounds him, even after a millennium. 

The page is covered in sketches of Nicky. Not just any sketches. These are identical to the pictures that were up on Copley's board. Every single picture of Nicky that they had seen on that wall was now here in Joe's personal sketchbook. All except for one. 

"Turn the page." Joe whispers softly in his ear, and its as if his Joe was reading his mind because there, taking up an entire page, was the picture of Nicky helping the small child. 

Nicky gasps, running his fingers lightly across the page. " _Incredible_." He tells Joe, raising his hand to bury his fingers in his beloved's hair. Joe nuzzles into Nicky's neck and inhales. 

"One more time, Nicolo." Joe breathes out, breath warm on Nicky's skin. 

He turns the page again and is once again blown away, not only by the skill, but also the thoughtfulness the love of his life possesses. Because this page is of all the pictures of Joe from that wall, all the snapshots that Nicky had wanted to snatch up and covet forever. 

" _Tesoro mio_." Nicky breathes, turning until his nose is in its favorite place in Joe's hair. " _Quanto sei meraviglioso_."

" _Per te, il mio amore. Solo te_."

**Author's Note:**

> amore - love  
> Marhabaan eaziziun - hello dear  
> Ciao, caro - hi dear  
> Tesoro mio - sweetheart  
> Quanto sei meraviglioso - how wonderful you are  
> Per te, il mio amore - for you, my love  
> Solo te - only you


End file.
